Pastor’s Pen
St. Augustine Catholic Church
Sunday, February 28, 2021
Second Sunday of Lent
Dear Church Family,
The readings for this second week of Lent are so straightforward and revealing to us in the nature and spirit of God and our Lord, Jesus Christ. In the first reading, we have the story of Abraham being willing to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as a holocaust. God was testing Abraham with this task and he came through with flying colors because God declared to Abraham: “Because you acted as you did in not withholding from me your beloved son, I will bless you abundantly and make your descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore.” Jesus confirms this promise when He says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matt 6:33). Our heavenly Father already knows perfectly well what we need, and he will give them to us if we give him first place in our lives and live as he wants us to. Just how are we to do these things? One way during this Lenten time is to pray more, fast in some unique way, and be more charitable in our giving of our time, talents, and/or treasures.
The second reading (Romans 8:31) reminds us that “If God is for us, who can be against Us?” He is omnipotent (all powerful), omnipresent (ever with us), and omniscient (all knowing). With backup like that, how can we fail?
Finally, we again hear the account of the Transfiguration of Jesus in His appearance with Moses and Elijah before Peter, James, and John (Mark9:2-10). As Peter said, “It is good for us to be here.” It is good for us to have this Lenten season to journey with the Lord, our fellow members, and many others. We have so many chances to be involved with the essence of Lent through phone calls to those homebound because of Covid-19; helping, sharing, and praying for those in need; and offering extra prayers for others’ intentions as well as our own. Remember “If God is for us, who can be against Us?”
Love, Father Bob
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